Profiles of Visual Effects Programs & Schools

Visual effects animation (or animation & visual effects) is the art of using 3D modeling, character animation, character rigging, lighting and other techniques to create animations and visual effects for film, television, games, ads, applications, and more. Examples of visual effects animation can be seen in animated films, console games, computer games, education and training materials, and more.

Programs to consider:

As the entertainment industries bring in billions of dollars each year, the list of software that artists have to learn keeps growing longer. Needing the newest versions for each program every year can often prove to be quite costly. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a major 3D animation toolkit that was completely open source and free to use even for commercial projects? As many of you already know, that’s exactly what Blender has been doing for years, and each year it further closes the gap between itself and the most expensive software that money can buy.

Drexel University is a top ranked national university situated in the heart of Philadelphia and home to some 11,000 undergraduates. It also boasts the distinguished Westphal College of Media Arts & Design which couples studio work with experiential learning.

Vancouver is home to the third largest film and TV production city in North America, earning it the nickname Hollywood North and attracting significant industry attention, professionals and (surprise, surprise) jobs. It’s little wonder that a healthy dose of animation programs have cropped up on the lush Pacific shores of Canada in the last few decades, but one in particular is tough to beat. Vancouver Film School offers three distinct animation programs that each draw wide industry praise while beckoning students from around the world.

The state of Illinois is home to one large city—Chicago. Although Aurora, Rockford, Joliet, and Naperville are listed as “principle” cities, their populations pale in comparison to Chicago’s. With a population of more than 3.1 million (worldatlas.com), Chicago is the nation’s third largest city, and the Chicago metropolitan area is the 29th largest in the world. Like most large cities across the U.S., Chicago is progressive and home to a lively art and culture scene. This makes it a top choice for aspiring artists of all kinds—including visual effects artists.

Florida is home to digital artists of all kinds from animators to game designers to visual effects artists. They work for historic studios such as Universal Studios, and soon , possibly 500 digital artists and others may have the opportunity to work at a $40 million, 120,000-square-foot studio in Port St. Lucie, brought to you by Digital Domain. In addition, Florida is home to the Dave School—one of the top visual effects schools in the U.S. as well as major visual arts colleges such as New World School of Arts. Students can select from a variety of majors from animation to visual effects.

There’s no better place on the map for aspiring visual effects artists than the state of California. The Golden State is home to more artists than any other state in the U.S., and the entertainment industry here is the largest in the world. The state is home to top film studios such as DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Fox Searchlight, Universal Studios, Focus Features, Columbia Pictures many more. Although the Los Angeles area is the top location for aspiring visual effects artists, they can also find an active scene in cities such as San Jose, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Redwood City, Long Beach, and Glendale.

It isn’t every day that a prospective animator or 3D artist has the opportunity to work alongside a dedicated group of colleagues, industry professionals and mentors in the heart of the film industry for an immersive summer experience.

At Animation Career Review we have published dozens of articles detailing the different types of degree programs available in animation, design, gaming, and related fields. Each article defines the program, details the typical coursework involved and notes the type of career paths available to someone with that particualr degree. Bookmark this handy dandy list for future use.

Visual effects animation (or animation & visual effects) is the art of using 3D modeling, character animation, character rigging, lighting and other techniques to create animations and visual effects for film, television, games, ads, applications, and more. Examples of visual effects animation can be seen in animated films, console games, computer games, education and training materials, and more.

Visual arts or just “visual art” includes art forms such as drawing, painting, sculpture, crafts, printmaking, and photography. Visual art may also be used to describe art produced by digital means. Animation, film, and graphic design can be considered visual art. Visual art does not include art forms such as music.